Self-setting trap



J. J. MARTIN.

SELF SETTING TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED .IULY 12,1920. 1,407,558, yPatented Feb. 21, 1922.

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INVENTOR J. J. MARTIN.

SELF SETTING TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED JuLY12,192o.

1,407,558, Peeeneed Feb. 21, 1922.

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ATTORNEY W ITNESSES i maar JOSEPH JETER MARTIN, OF NATHALIE, VIRGINIA..

SELF-SETTING TRAP.

Lacasse. Application led July 12,

To all whom t may con-cern.'

Be it known that I, JoserH J. MARTIN, a citizen of :the United States, residing at Nathalie,in the county of Halifax and State ot' Virginia, have invented new and use'ul Improvements in Self-Setting Traps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an animal trap of the type in which the animal is precipirated into areceptacle by a tiltable platform and the principal object of the invention 1s to provide means whereby the trap is selfsetting and may be rendered inactive when itis desired to permit the animals to become familiar with the same. Y v

Another` object of the invention is to provide a hinged member Aoperated by the tiltable member for preventing the animal from running ofi' the tiltable member as the saine is moving downwardly under the weight of the animal. y

p A still further object 0f the invention is to provide a receptacle with two compartments for receiving the rats which are adapted to contain waterV so that when the lower compartment is full the water will overflow into the upper compartment.

This invention also consists in certain other features. of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, to be hereinafter fully described, illustra-ted in the accompanyingdrawings and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be. had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like 'or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a side view of the invention. Figure 2 is a top view with parts broken away.

. Figure 8 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view certain parts being shown in full.

FigureV t. is a horizontal sectional view on line 1 4 of Figure 3.

In these views 1 indicates a box or casing which has its ends open, the rear end having the bars or wires 2 extending across the same and the front end havingthe bars or wires 3 closing the side portions thereof but leaving a central opening 4. lartition plates 5 Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 21, 1922.

1920. Serial No. 395,597.

extend longitudinally along the central part of the box with the front ends adjacent the innermost bars at the front of the box and their rear ends spaced a considerable distance from the bars at the rear of the box. These plates form a passageway for. the animals enteringthe opening t. The bottorn of the box along this passageway is cutaway to form an elongated opening 6 and this opening is adapted to be closed by the tiltable member 7. This member is pivoted to the bottom of the box by the pin 7x an appreciable distance from its front end and the bottom faceV of this front end carries a weight 7 which tends to hold the member in horizontal position and closing the opening.

It will thus be seen that as the animal enters the opening or passes along the passageway it will pass over the tiltable member and when it passes beyond the pivot thereof its weight will cause the member to tilt and thus the animal will be precipitated through the opening into the receptacle 9 upon which the box is placed.

In order t0 prevent the rat from running olf the member when the same starts to tilt I provide a hinged plate 10 which is hinged at its front end to the under face of the cover of the box so that the other end of the plate will tend to drop down upon the tiltable` member under the action ot gravity. The plate is held in raised position, however, when the tiltable member is in horizontal position, by means of the string 11 connected with the plate and passing over a guide 12 on the cover of the box and downwardly to the front end of the tiltable member to which it is attached. This string is oi' such a length that when the tiltable member is in a horizontal position the plate will be held in raised position but when the member is tilted the string will slack and permit the weight of the plate to cause it to swing downwardly and engage the front end of the tiltable member. The free end of the plate may be provided with fingers 13.

I also provide a swinging plate 14: for preventing the animal from passing between the rear ends f the partition plates. This plate 11i has its upper end secured to a bar 15 which extends transversely through the upper part of the box and is provided with a handle exteriorly of the box so that the Vwardly manually when desired.

plate may be swung downwardly or up- The cover of the box is provided with a plurality of openings 16 through which the bait may be dropped into the box from both sides of the partition plates. I also place a trough 17 in the rear of the box for containing water or the like. The receptacle 9 upon which the box rests is formed by the partition plate 1S into an upper chamber and a lower chamber, said partition plate having an opening 19 therein which is located partly under the opening 6 in the bottom of the box. Guide plates 20 are secured to the under face of the bottom of the box at the sides and rear ends of opening 6 for directing the animal dropping through said opening through the opening 19 into the lower chamber, said plates having spring fingers 21Vat their lower edges which are curved inwardly and which are so formed as to permit the animal to Yfall down into the lower chamber but will prevent the animal from returning from the lower chamber through said opening 19. When the lower chamber has received a number of animals the level of the water in the receptacle will be raised so that the upper chamber will be partlyrfilled but thefanimals cannotreach the upper chamber v-and'alarm the rats entering the trap. In order to permit the animals to becom familiar with the trap I provide means for preventing the tilting member from moving, such means consisting of a bar 22 which is adapted to be placed between the receptacle Vand the box and to have a part engage the tiltable member so as to prevent the same from being tilted. I may provide notches 22 in the upper edgesof the receptacle to receive said bar. When this bar is in place the plate 14 is swung upwardly by its bar 15 so that the animals can pass along the passageway into the rear part of the box and from herepass to the side spaces between the partition plates and the sides of the box so as to reach the bait inthese side spaces and also the water or other Inaterial in the trough. `When the trap is kept in this inactive position `for a few nights n the rats will become used to thersame and will pass'in and out ofthe boxto get atithe bait. Then the bar 22 is removed and the plate 14C swung downwardlyto close the rear h end of the passagewayY so that when the rat walks into Y the passageway and upon the tiltable member the same will swing downwardly under his weight and precipitate him finto the receptacle below. The member will then swing 'back into normal position ready for the next rat. As the tiltablemember swings downwardly the plate 10 will also swing downwardly and thus prevent the rat from (escaping off the member. When' the member Vreturns Vto normal position the plates will be raised by the string. The trap will be detachably connected with the receptacle by the latch means 23 and I may provide a runway or shelf 24 around the receptacle and extend the front end of the bottom of the box, as at 25, to facilitate the rats entering thebox. Y

It is thought from the foregoing description thatthe advantages and novel features of my invention will be readily apparent.

I desire it to be understood `that I may malte changes inthe construction and'in the combinationy and arrangement of the several parts, provided that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.v

1. `Atrapof the class describedcomprising a box having a passageway therein, the bottom of the passageway having an opening therein, a tiltable platform closing said opening, a weight normally holding the` platform in horizontal position, a receptacle below the box for receiving the animals, a plate` hinged at itsfront end to the top ofthe box and adapted to swing downwardlyunder the action of gravity to close the front end of the passageway, a guide at the `top of the box and jaflexiblemember passing throughsaid guide and havingone endconnected with the weighted end of the platform .and f its otherV end connected with i the plate so as to hold the plate in raised position when the platform is in normal position. Y o Y 2. A trap ofthe class describedcomprising a box having a passageway therein, the bottomof the passagewayhaving an opening therein, a tiltalole platform closing said opening, av weight normally holding the platform in horizontal'position, a receptacle below the boxfor vreceiving the animals, a detachable member for preventing the tilting movement of the platform and a manually movable platehinged tothe top of the box and adapted to close the rear end of the passa eway when swung downwardly.

3. trap of theV class described comprising a .box having its ends open, spaced bars closing said ends, two partition plates centrally arranged in the box and forming ,a passagewayY therein, the Vsaid plates terminating short of the rear end of the box, the

bottom of the box having an openin in the ing, a receptacle located below the box, a box and through the opening in the partition partition plate inpsaid receptacle dividing plate into the Ylower chamber, said guiding the same into an upper and lower chamber, plates having spring fingers at their lower 10 said partition plate having an opening thereedges.

' in and guiding plates secured to the bottom 1n testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

of the box for directing the anima-1s falling through the opening in the bottom of the JOSEPH JETER MARTIN. 

